in the past i think you can get your phone unlocked if you are in the last 6 months of your contract. so after 6months on a 12month contract and after a year on a 18month contract. something along those lines. not sure about the offtel statement though

I can see there's some confusion here so thought I'd clarify it for you as an official channel.

Contract handsets sold on Vodafone are no longer network locked, so anyone who owns an existing Vodafone contract handset and account can get the phone unlocked free of charge regardless of the age of the handset, as opposed to the previous £19.99 inc. VAT. that applied for handsets less than 12 months old.

Pay As You Talk Vodafone handsets are still network locked, and a charge of £19.99 including VAT still applies to get them unlocked, unless the handset is more than 12 months old.